THE GHOST VILLAGES OF UTTARAKHAND/ REASONS AND REMEDIES ?

The story of the plight of migration from Uttarakhand villages to cities, towns and metropolises is not new but have been the core issue of debates and discussions from time immemorial.

The problem of migration has become so gigantic and commonly talked about that it has now reached a saturation point of discussion in political, social and cultural circles of the state and as a result, now the governments and the people have become tired of discussing it.

The main reason behind this contention is the complacense and the ignorance of the succesive state governments whether they are of the Congress or the BJP and their vision less chief ministers who could not finally devise any concrete policy or acted with determination to resolve this long pending vexed issue.

There is no doubt that the exodus to cities is a regular phenomenon not only in Uttarakhand but in all the states of the country. People leave their ancestral homes in search of better job, educational and health prospects and migrate towards cities n metropolises like Delhi and Mumbai in particular finding adjustments and future of survival.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkand, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and Orissa including the entire North Eastern Sector have witnessed both skilled and unskilled migration over the years n so had Uttarakhand but the difference between these states and Uttarakhand is that in the latter case the interior villages have become completely vacant literally becoming ghost villages which once used to be the main hub of the decent ancient hilly culture.

For a 19 year old state where 9 chief ministers have ruled the state with claims of the highest per capita income, (unofficial) migration of about 32 lakh people in less than two decades from villages to towns, cities and metropolises definitely raise question of the incompetence of the political and bureaucratic leadership of the state which was carved out of Uttar Pradesh with the sole concept and objective of making the himalayan state a fully comprehensible n economically viable, self reliant and a prosperous state.

But sadly a state which came into separate existence after so much of sacrifices and struggle is today majorly devoid of hospitals with good medical facilities, job prospects, good schools in the interiors lacking teachers and other basic avenues, finally compelling the village folks to migrate in large numbers.

As said earlier number of times about 2500 villages of Uttarakhand are devoid of population with 3000 primary n middle schools closed. However the government figures claim 4 lakh migration in the last decade with 700 villages becoming population less, rather ghost villages with 556 having just less than half.

The point is after all why would the people come back. There had been no or negligible state of decentralised agricultural, medical, educational, industrial and jobs related progress at the decentralised block level during the last nineteen years of rule of the successive governments.

Yes the rich, affluents and haves do have their say who can afford their childrens and family members expensive education and luxurious health facilities n avenues in high profile private hospitals and schools. There have been quite a disparity in the economic incomes of the rich n poor in the state during the last two decades with migration going on in a galloping speed.

Today, the state is extremely crime prone, devoid of jobs, health avenues, basic good and quality education and the contractors, mining mafia, construction and liquor mafia having their fullest say in alleged clandestine collaboration with those in power. However, despite all this Uttarakhand as per statistics is the largest per capita income state with being number two in literacy rate after the southern state Kerala.

The chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat is holding various investors summit in and outside Uttarakhand to invite entrepreneurs with certain attractive concessions compounded with extending invitation to Bollywood producers and directors to shoot their films in the serene and beautiful locations of Uttarakhand hills. But would these populist measures really entice Uttarakhandies to expedite reverse migration is anybody’s guess.

The government which believes in earning its finances through opening widespread liquor outlets right from cities to districts and village levels and ensuring sale of liquor through mobile van services as well, most shockingly, to cover its fiscal deficit, one can imagine as to what type of Uttarakhand we are looking at in the near future? Would such tactics be feasible and technically viable to stop migration from Uttarakhand hills or allow reverse migration to fructify is anybody’s guess.

However, what surprises us the most is the issue of Gairsain to be declared as the capital of the state which is today the most priority matter and being favoured by ninety percent of the people of the state, who’ve voted the BJP government to the historic majority defeating the Congress. Gairsain is one issue which can for sure enable reverse migration as the new capital,  if it really fructifies, as its situated inside the Uttarakhand hills geografically viable being equidistance from Kumaon as well as Garhwal regions. But the fault lies in the incumbent government which is not willing to shift the capital from Dehradun to Gairsain. The bureaucrats, ministers, their families, businessmen, contractors, those high ups who are in league with the politicians are comfortably settled in Dehradun leading a luxurious life styles and therefore do not want to shift in the interior capital Gairsain devoid of all the comforts and facilities being enjoyed by them since ages. The technical feasibility of Gairsain means inner development of villages and therefore reverse migration. But comfort oriented politicians are least worried to shift there thus trying to make it a summer capital at the least but not a full capital despite majority of the people wanting it. It will also result in keeping our border villages intact which is a mandatory necessity and requirement from the point of view of the security of our country.

What’s your take friends?
The picture is of one of the ghost village in Uttarakhand.